dead
1 of 3adjective
ˈded 
1
: deprived of life : no longer alive
a dead tree
dead soldiers
missing and presumed dead
2
a(1)
: having the appearance of death : deathly
in a dead faint
(2)
: lacking power to move, feel, or respond : numb
my arm feels dead
b
: very tired
Our legs were completely dead after the hike.
c(1)
: incapable of being stirred emotionally or intellectually : unresponsive
a heart dead to pity
felt dead inside
(2)
: grown cold : extinguished
dead coals
3
a
: inanimate, inert
dead matter
b
: barren, infertile
dead soil
c
: no longer producing or functioning : exhausted
a dead battery
4
a(1)
: lacking power or effect
a dead law
(2)
: no longer having interest, relevance, or significance
a dead issue
b
: no longer in use : obsolete
a dead language
c
: no longer active : extinct
a dead volcano
d
: lacking in gaiety or animation
a dead party
e(1)
: lacking in commercial activity : quiet
The city is dead after five o'clock.
(2)
: commercially idle or unproductive
dead capital
f
: lacking elasticity (see elasticity sense 1a)
a dead tennis ball
g
: being out of action or out of use
The phone went dead.
specifically, electrical engineering : free from any connection to a source of voltage and free from electric charges
a dead electrical circuit
h(1)
sports and games : being out of play
a dead ball
(2)
croquet : temporarily forbidden to play or to make a certain play
5
a
: not running or circulating : stagnant
dead water
b
: not turning
the dead center of a lathe
c
mechanical engineering : not imparting motion or power although otherwise functioning
a dead rear axle
d
: lacking warmth, vigor, or taste
The fire was dead.
a dead wine
6
a
: absolutely uniform
a dead level of mediocrity
b(1)
: unerring
a dead shot with a rifle
(2)
: exact
dead center of the target
(3)
: certain to be doomed
he's dead if he's late for curfew
(4)
: irrevocable
a dead loss
c
: abrupt
brought to a dead stop
d(1)
: complete, absolute
a dead silence
(2)
: all-out
caught it on the dead run
7
: devoid of former occupants
dead villages
deadness noun
dead
2 of 3noun
plural dead
1
: someone who is no longer alive : one that is dead (see dead entry 1 sense 1) —usually used collectively
They were among the dead.
2
: the state of being dead
raised him from the dead 
Colossians 2:12 (Revised Standard Version)
Colossians 2:12 (Revised Standard Version)3
: the time of greatest quiet
the dead of night
dead
3 of 3adverb
1
: absolutely, utterly
dead certain
finished dead last
The room became dead quiet. Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat2
: suddenly and completely
stopped dead in his tracks
3
: directly
dead ahead
Phrases
dead in the water 1
: incapable of being effective : stalled
peace talks were dead in the water
2
: as good as dead : doomed
most books are dead in the water long before their publication Phillip Lopate
Phillip Lopate : with no chance of escape or excuse : red-handed
had him dead to rights for the robbery
: only by overcoming one's utter and determined resistance
vows that they'll raise his taxes over his dead body
Synonyms
Adjective
- asleep
- breathless
- cold
- deceased
- defunct
- demised
- departed
- fallen
- gone
- late
- lifeless
- low
Noun
- deadness
- death
- grave
- lifelessness
- nothingness
- sleep
Adverb
- direct
- directly
- due
- plumb
- plump
- right
- straight
- straightway
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective Her husband is dead. He died last year. He was found dead in his apartment yesterday. He lay dead on the floor. The lost mountain climbers were believed dead. The poster said that the robbers were wanted dead or alive. Our legs were completely dead after hiking all day. I'm dead if I come in late for work again. If I ever get my hands on you, you're dead! Noun By the end of the war, there were over two million dead. He began his journey in the dead of winter. Adverb She's dead certain that she can finish the job. We were dead tired by the end of the day. He's not joking. In fact, he's dead serious. They were both dead drunk and passed out on the floor. She finished the race dead last. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Mary Mcnamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2022 He was found dead the following morning at 8:07 a.m., prosecutors said. Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2022 Five people were found dead inside a home in northeastern Maryland on Friday after deputies were called to investigate a report of a shooting, authorities said. Fox News, 9 Sep. 2022 The Cecil County Sheriff's Office said five people were found dead inside the home on a cul-de-sac in Elk Mills, a few miles from the Delaware state line, CBS Baltimore reported. CBS News, 9 Sep. 2022 The man was later found dead in a detached garage with a semiautomatic handgun nearby, according to officials, while the other four victims were found in the residence. Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 The person who was found dead has not yet been identified by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. The Courier-Journal, 9 Sep. 2022 For her, peace can only be built over Sauron’s dead body, which means that peace is never truly achievable. Daniel Bessner, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2022 In the heat of a summer day, Draginja discovers a dead body that resembles her. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Sep. 2022 Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2022 These days, the sidewalks in Creekwood are periodically dotted with memorials to the young dead. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Western estimates of Russian dead have ranged from more than 15,000 to over 20,000 — more than the Soviet Union lost during its 10-year war in Afghanistan. Inna Varenytsia, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Aug. 2022 This would lead to an access portal into the more spacious main chamber, which had a diameter of around 16 feet, where the dead would be laid to rest. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2022 Their private efforts to remember and honor the dead reveal a grace born of grief, an essential humanity that defies the barbarism unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Martin Kuz, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug. 2022 To solve his mystery, Hendershott partnered with the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that helps ID the dead. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2022 From crime-scene cleaners to death-mask makers, detectives to reconstruction artists, those who make their living from the dead are legion. Brandy Schillace, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 There is little room for false starts and dead-ends as countries transform their energy, agricultural and industrial systems on the way to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Gaurav Ganti, The Conversation, 16 Aug. 2022 Lance Lambert, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2022 And of course, just like all of their other grandiose claims, this one is dead wrong. Fox News Staff, Fox News, 18 Aug. 2022 The estimates, thanks to the economic upheaval created by the pandemic, proved to be dead wrong in most cases. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 14 July 2022 For now, everything is on the table — and the possibility of all these theories being dead wrong in favor of something even more confounding is equally likely. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 30 June 2022 Those two women are Lissa Dragomir (Daniela Nieves), a royal Moroi vampire, and Rose Hathaway (Sisi Stringer), her Dhampir best friend who is dead set on keeping her safe. Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2022 Most of us spend most of our gym time dead-set on blasting our biceps and torching our triceps, but fail to place any focus on our forearms. Jeff Tomko, Men's Health, 21 July 2022 Sasha is dead set against appearing on the Strange Exits podcast. Mary Cadden, USA TODAY, 7 July 2022 Since the firm started streaming in 2007, company leaders have been dead set against ads. Jon Markman, Forbes, 29 June 2022 See More
Adjective
After Ledwell is found dead and Blay wounded, that theory at least is put to rest. Mary Mcnamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2022 He was found dead the following morning at 8:07 a.m., prosecutors said. Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2022 Five people were found dead inside a home in northeastern Maryland on Friday after deputies were called to investigate a report of a shooting, authorities said. Fox News, 9 Sep. 2022 The Cecil County Sheriff's Office said five people were found dead inside the home on a cul-de-sac in Elk Mills, a few miles from the Delaware state line, CBS Baltimore reported. CBS News, 9 Sep. 2022 The man was later found dead in a detached garage with a semiautomatic handgun nearby, according to officials, while the other four victims were found in the residence. Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 The person who was found dead has not yet been identified by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. The Courier-Journal, 9 Sep. 2022 For her, peace can only be built over Sauron’s dead body, which means that peace is never truly achievable. Daniel Bessner, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2022 In the heat of a summer day, Draginja discovers a dead body that resembles her. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Sep. 2022 Noun
The man was put in contact with the article's author, who was able to point him to the field where the dead were buried. Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2022 These days, the sidewalks in Creekwood are periodically dotted with memorials to the young dead. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Western estimates of Russian dead have ranged from more than 15,000 to over 20,000 — more than the Soviet Union lost during its 10-year war in Afghanistan. Inna Varenytsia, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Aug. 2022 This would lead to an access portal into the more spacious main chamber, which had a diameter of around 16 feet, where the dead would be laid to rest. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2022 Their private efforts to remember and honor the dead reveal a grace born of grief, an essential humanity that defies the barbarism unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Martin Kuz, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug. 2022 To solve his mystery, Hendershott partnered with the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that helps ID the dead. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2022 From crime-scene cleaners to death-mask makers, detectives to reconstruction artists, those who make their living from the dead are legion. Brandy Schillace, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 There is little room for false starts and dead-ends as countries transform their energy, agricultural and industrial systems on the way to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Gaurav Ganti, The Conversation, 16 Aug. 2022 Adverb
Of course, Zelman’s housing bust fears were proved more than correct, and all those at the time who thought demographics would continue to propel ’00s home prices forward were proved dead wrong. Lance Lambert, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2022 And of course, just like all of their other grandiose claims, this one is dead wrong. Fox News Staff, Fox News, 18 Aug. 2022 The estimates, thanks to the economic upheaval created by the pandemic, proved to be dead wrong in most cases. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 14 July 2022 For now, everything is on the table — and the possibility of all these theories being dead wrong in favor of something even more confounding is equally likely. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 30 June 2022 Those two women are Lissa Dragomir (Daniela Nieves), a royal Moroi vampire, and Rose Hathaway (Sisi Stringer), her Dhampir best friend who is dead set on keeping her safe. Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2022 Most of us spend most of our gym time dead-set on blasting our biceps and torching our triceps, but fail to place any focus on our forearms. Jeff Tomko, Men's Health, 21 July 2022 Sasha is dead set against appearing on the Strange Exits podcast. Mary Cadden, USA TODAY, 7 July 2022 Since the firm started streaming in 2007, company leaders have been dead set against ads. Jon Markman, Forbes, 29 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Noun, and Adverb
Middle English deed, from Old English dēad; akin to Old Norse dauthr dead, deyja to die, Old High German tōt dead — more at die
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing dead
Kids Definition
dead 1 of 3
adjective
ˈded
1
: no longer living
… the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire2
: having the look of death
a dead faint
3
: numb entry 1 sense 1
4
: very tired
That was hard work. I'm dead.
5
: lacking motion, activity, energy, or power to function
a dead battery
6
: no longer in use
dead languages
7
: no longer active
a dead volcano
8
: lacking warmth or vigor
Make sure the fire is dead.
9
: not lively
This party is dead.
10
: accurate, precise
a dead shot
11
: being sudden and complete
The ride came to a dead stop.
12
: complete entry 1 sense 1, total
dead silence
13
: facing certain punishment
If we get caught, we're dead.
dead
2 of 3noun
plural dead
1
: a person who is no longer alive
Hint: This sense of dead is usually used for all people who are no longer alive.
the living and the dead
2
: the time of greatest quiet or least activity
the dead of night
dead
3 of 3adverb
1
: in a whole or complete manner
dead tired
2
: suddenly and completely
stopped dead
3
: straight entry 2 sense 2
dead ahead
Medical Definition
dead 1 of 2
adjective
ˈded
1
: deprived of life : having died
dead of scarlet fever
2
: lacking power to move, feel, or respond : numb
dead
2 of 2noun
plural dead
: one that is dead —usually used collectively
dead 1 of 3
adjective
1
as in deceased
no longer living I inherited this heirloom from my dead great-grandfather Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- deceased
- fallen
- dying
- asleep
- extinct
- gone
- low
- lifeless
- late
- departed
- demised
- defunct
- cold
- breathless
- fading
- moribund
- bitten the dust
- stillborn
- inanimate
- terminated
- lapsed
- finished
- nonliving
- insensate
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- alive
- live
- breathing
- living
- going
- quick
- active
- vital
- dynamic
- animate
- functioning
- lively
- vibrant
- operative
- animated
- thriving
- vivacious
- running
2
as in slow
lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation the store is often dead after 4:00 p.m. Synonyms & Similar Words
- slow
- comatose
- sleepy
- vacant
- idle
- dormant
- off
- inert
- inactive
- sluggish
- fallow
- lethargic
- torpid
- inoperative
- latent
- free
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- alive
- busy
- thriving
- flourishing
- vibrant
- lively
- humming
- animated
- bustling
- buzzing
- astir
- teeming
- overflowing
- swarming
- abounding
- thronging
3
as in exhausted
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness a long day of traveling left them just dead Synonyms & Similar Words
- exhausted
- tired
- drained
- weary
- beaten
- beat
- done
- limp
- worn
- wearied
- prostrate
- knackered
- aweary
- burnt-out
- spent
- tapped out
- fatigued
- played out
- wiped out
- all in
- burned-out
- jaded
- pooped
- bushed
- worn-out
- washed-out
- worn to a frazzle
- weakened
- bleary
- sleepy
- logy
- loggy
- overworked
- debilitated
- overtaxed
- enfeebled
- tuckered (out)
- overfatigued
- enervated
- broken-down
- lethargic
- sapped
- sluggish
- drowsy
- enervate
- heavy
- run-down
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fresh
- rested
- rejuvenated
- active
- unwearied
- refreshed
- relaxed
- strong
- energetic
- revitalized
- invigorated
- strengthened
- peppy
- vitalized
- tireless
- weariless
4
as in absolute
having no exceptions or restrictions there was a dead silence following that incredibly moving performance Synonyms & Similar Words
- absolute
- damned
- pure
- total
- utter
- unconditional
- damn
- sheer
- complete
- simple
- outright
- very
- stone
- perfect
- real
- deadly
- definite
- blooming
- crashing
- flat
- clean
- blank
- dreadful
- plumb
- endless
- rank
- downright
- unmitigated
- huge
- eternal
- unqualified
- regular
- unadulterated
- stark
- profound
- flat-out
- fair
- horrible
- straight-out
- constant
- categorical
- terrible
- consummate
- out-and-out
- perpetual
- thoroughgoing
- bodacious
- thorough
- genuine
- unalloyed
- arrant
- hopeless
- veritable
- undying
- authentic
- all-out
- main
- categoric
- classic
- confirmed
- supreme
- unrestricted
- extreme
- unremitting
- habitual
- extraordinary
- surpassing
- terrific
- frightful
- inveterate
- superlative
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- doubtful
- uncertain
- questionable
- restricted
- dubious
- qualified
- equivocal
5
as in asleep
lacking in sensation or feeling my foot was dead after I absentmindedly sat on it for an hour Synonyms & Similar Words
- asleep
- numb
- numbed
- benumbed
- torpid
- insensitive
- unconscious
- unfeeling
- deadened
- chilled
- drugged
- inanimate
- stupefied
- anesthetized
- nipped
- dulled
- cocainized
- blunted
- insensate
- senseless
- obtunded
- insensible
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- feeling
- sensitive
- awake
- sensible
6
as in extinct
no longer existing the dead Babylonian culture Synonyms & Similar Words
- extinct
- defunct
- vanished
- expired
- gone
- done
- departed
- dying
- fallen
- bygone
- obsolete
- faded
- nonextant
- nonexistent
- moribund
- lost
- bypast
- collapsed
- missing
- overthrown
- antiquated
- dated
- lapsed
- terminated
- finished
- passé
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- alive
- existing
- living
- extant
- active
- dynamic
- existent
- thriving
- vibrant
7
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment local coal mines that have been dead for years Synonyms & Similar Words
- dormant
- off
- idle
- unused
- vacant
- inert
- inactive
- fallow
- at rest
- inoperative
- latent
- asleep
- suspended
- free
- out of commission
- lifeless
- useless
- arrested
- comatose
- unusable
- moribund
- unoccupied
- interrupted
- on the shelf
- quiescent
- slow
- sleepy
- inoperable
- unworkable
- abeyant
- dull
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- alive
- active
- operating
- functioning
- on
- busy
- living
- operative
- working
- going
- employed
- operational
- functional
- workable
- running
- operable
- industrious
- useful
- viable
- practical
- vigorous
- energetic
- feasible
- usable
- assiduous
- sedulous
- useable
8
as in deadly
of, relating to, or suggestive of death fell into a dead faint upon hearing the news Synonyms & Similar Words
- deadly
- mortuary
- spectral
- mortal
- fell
- lethal
- lifeless
- phantom
- deathly
- ghostly
- killer
- still
- murderous
- fatal
- quiescent
- inert
- inactive
- ghostlike
- cadaverous
- macabre
- inoperative
- fateful
- pestilent
- baleful
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- alive
- active
- live
- breathing
- living
- animate
- vital
- gay
- well
- lively
- spirited
- vigorous
- perky
- animated
- energetic
- bouncing
- vivacious
- sprightly
- whole
- brisk
- frisky
- springy
- peppy
- pert
- healthy
- spanking
- sound
- jaunty
- jazzy
- zippy
- racy
- snappy
- hale
- sparky
- wholesome
- fit
- chipper
- robust
- sprightful
- hearty
- able-bodied
9
as in doomed
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death if we don't finish this project on time, we're dead Synonyms & Similar Words
- doomed
- done
- sunk
- ruined
- kaput
- endangered
- done for
- finished
- kaputt
- imperiled
- imperilled
10
as in bland
lacking in taste or flavor from the first sip I could tell that the wine hadn't aged well and was pretty much dead Synonyms & Similar Words
- bland
- flat
- thin
- weak
- insipid
- plain
- tasteless
- savorless
- flavorless
- unsavory
- watery
- dilute
- unflavored
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- tasty
- loathsome
- disgusting
- sickening
- savory
- tasteful
- distasteful
- flavorful
- delicious
- unappetizing
- unpalatable
- mawkish
- delectable
- cloying
- savoury
- rich
- seasoned
- keen
- heavy
- palatable
- appetizing
- spicy
- sapid
- flavorsome
- flavored
- piquant
- toothsome
11
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation the dead wastes of the far country to the west Synonyms & Similar Words
- barren
- desolate
- impoverished
- waste
- poor
- bleak
- lifeless
- desert
- bony
- unfertile
- infertile
- unproductive
- boney
- dry
- hardscrabble
- exhausted
- drained
- stark
- reduced
- thirsty
- depleted
- inhospitable
- consumed
- spent
- diminished
- debilitated
- enfeebled
- bankrupted
- expended
- sere
- dehydrated
- dried-up
- baked
- sear
- arid
- uncultivable
- used up
- lessened
- untillable
- waterless
- sunbaked
- parched
- droughty
- rainless
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rich
- fertile
- productive
- fruitful
- green
- lush
- luxuriant
- arable
- tillable
- verdant
- sylvan
dead
2 of 3adverb
1
as in straight
in a direct line or course the finish line is dead ahead Synonyms & Similar Words
- straight
- right
- plump
- direct
- directly
- straightway
- due
- plumb
- as the crow flies
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- indirectly
- circuitously
- veeringly
- deviously
2
as in all
to a full extent or degree I'm dead certain that's the one I want Synonyms & Similar Words
- all
- completely
- totally
- quite
- utterly
- perfectly
- fully
- fast
- out
- well
- wholly
- even
- entirely
- flat
- absolutely
- exactly
- thoroughly
- wide
- entire
- clean
- for fair
- enough
- full
- all of
- at length
- all over
- all the way
- basically
- to pieces
- soundly
- cold
- stone
- plumb
- altogether
- down to the ground
- in whole
- to bits
- to the max
- mostly
- plain
- heartily
- stone-cold
- down the line
- to the hilt
- largely
- through and through
- downright
- substantially
- mainly
- predominantly
- categorically
- generally
- hands down
- primarily
- chiefly
- principally
- predominately
- greatly
- unqualifiedly
- overall
- by and large
- abundantly
- more or less
- generously
- copiously
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- halfway
- half
- partially
- just
- barely
- partly
- scarcely
- hardly
- slightly
- superficially
- marginally
- incompletely
- minimally
- somewhat
- part
- roughly
- approximately
- kind of
dead
3 of 3noun
as in death
the state of being dead it's impossible to raise someone from the dead Synonyms & Similar Words
- death
- grave
- deadness
- mortality
- sleep
- lifelessness
- nothingness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- life
- existence
- immortality
- lifetime
- life span
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of dead are deceased, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.
a dead, listless performance
Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.
the estate of the deceased
The words defunct and dead are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.
a defunct television series
The synonyms departed and dead are sometimes interchangeable, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.
our departed sister
Although the words late and dead have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.
the company's late president
Phrases Containing dead
- have it in for
- have it in mind
- have it in one
- have it made
- have it made in the shade
- have it on excellent authority
- have it on good authority
- have it on good/excellent authority
- have it one's (own) way
- have it one's own way
- have it one's way
- have it out
- have it over
- have it rough
- have its beginnings
- have its uses
- have kittens
- have less in common with
- have little faith in
- have little to recommend her
- have little to recommend him
- have little to recommend it
- have little/nothing to recommend it
- have mercy
- have mercy/pity